Detoxing on the Cheap, Locally
Problem #1: Home sick with the flu. Problem #2: Unemployed (not necessarily a problem per se - I rather enjoy it, but the check hasn't arrived.) Hence Problem #3: My gym's spa is under construction, with the steam room out of order and the sauna marred by jackhammers and the workmen's radio. Bringing the vaporizer into the bathroom and turning on a hot shower doesn't have the same effect. Where can I go to get this cold up and out of my chest, where it's currently residing, making me sound like Froggy in "The Little Rascals"?
Burbank Spa and Garden: On Magnolia Boulevard in Burbank, with a real Finnish sauna and an array of services, from massage to manicure. However - you can go and use the sauna and showers only for a mere $20.00. There's usually a pan of eucalyptus water in the sauna to pour over the rocks, which is especially good for a cold. The staff is all top-notch, and you can choose male or female if you wish (there are separate facilities).
2115 West Magnolia Blvd, Burbank 818-845-1251
Olympic Spa: I discovered this women-only spa a few years ago when I first moved to LA. Absurdly cheap, always packed, and with a heated jade floor, eucalyptus/jade "steam sauna", a clay dry sauna, an "Oxygen Bichotan Charcoal therapy room," and a big hot pool of mugwort (also known as angelica, but I prefer the Harry Potteresque term) to soak your illnesses away followed by a jump in the cold plunge pool. One one visit, a Korean woman took the brush out of my friend's hand and showed her how to exfoliate properly. These women are serious, and they have the skin to prove it. They also offer an array of beauty services and treatments, as well as a small healthy Korean restaurant. But for the mere basics: $15. Reservations recommended for any of the treatments.
3915 West Olympic Blvd at Norton, Los Angeles
Natura Spa: A girlfriend of mine recently told me about them and I was surprised I'd never heard of them. I've yet to go there, but its amenities are similar to that of Olympic (saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools and cold plunges, an imported-from-Korea yellow-clay room, a jade stone room, and Korean restaurant), although whereas Olympic is women-only, Natura Spa has separate sections for men and women as well as a gym on the premises. They're located in the former I. Magnin building on Wilshire, and basic admission is $20, although they offer a full array of beauty services in addition.
3240 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles 213-381-2288
If you have more money than me, check out Brooks Massage. I haven't gone there yet, but they offer regular two-hour massage (!) specials for both men and women that include use of the steam and sauna. They're a Los Angeles institution, having been in business for over 50 years. Like Burbank Spa and Garden, there are separate facilities for men and women.
7619 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles 323-932-8854
You also may want to subscribe to Spa Addicts.com 's email list of monthly "Red Hot Spa Specials," in your area, and you can rack up spa points for freebies (though I always forget to do it.) Their site is nationwide, which is great if you're traveling and need to escape your relatives for some stress-free time.
Photo by ve®onica via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr